Nuggets from the papers

“Here’s an issue far bigger than terrorism or Iraq, one transcending national borders and party lines, and beware any foolish politician or pundit who stands in the way. Bush’s derision of Al Gore and climate change is coming back to haunt him, and Al will get the Democratic presidential nomination. The American who worked so hard on Kyoto is politically redeemed. The man whom Howard was reluctant to meet and whose film he professed no interesting in seeing will beat the unelectable Hillary Clinton in the primaries and be returned to the White House. “

I daren’t dream it could be true ! What a marvellous prediction. It would seem Phillip’s boss at the Oz – editor Paul Kelly – mightn’t be quite so enthusiastic about such a proposition. For the most part “The Australian” has shifted barely an inch from where it sat some weeks ago with the torrents of opinion pieces refuting climate change altogether.

Indeed Al Gore touches down in Sydney today and we have a report showing calm humility from the ex-VP in the SMH:

“”I am very grateful to the prime minister for watching my movie, genuinely so,” the former US vice-president said when told about Mr Howard’s view of An Inconvenient Truth – that it smacked of a “peeved politician” sniping at the Bush administration, and that it failed to make the earth move for him.”

Finally, if anyone is curious as to what Don Burke is up to after leaving “Burke’s Backyard”, you’ll be alarmed to discover he’s the chair of a group called the Australian Environment Foundation. Here’s what Sourcewatch has to say about the AEF:

“The Australian Environment Foundation is a front group founded by the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a conservative Melbourne-based think tank.

The director of the environment unit of the IPA, Jennifer Marohasy was the founding Chairwoman and is listed as a Director in the organisation’s documents with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Mahorasy is also the listed registrant of the group’s website, although the address and phone number for the website registration are identical to the address and phone number for the Victorian office of the logging industry front group, Timber Communities Australia.”